Page 98 of Wild About You
I can almost feel Tyler wince at the image.
“He had a tight grip on my hair, and I couldn’t get up, so I swung my hand to get him to let go, but I missed and got him in the face.”
“And then he hit you?” The words fall out of my mouth.
“Well, first he ranted on about how I was too young and stupid to know what I was doing, and how no one was going to want to date a high school chick that couldn’t even give a decent blow job.” She looks me dead in the eye. “I know how to give a blow job, thank you very much, I just didn’t feel like bobbing up and down on his small dick.”
Tyler groans, places his drink on the coffee table, and runs two fingers over his forehead.
“I said that last part to him, and he got pissed and slapped me.” She shrugs. “It’s true though.”
She removes the beer bottle from her face. It’s still red but it isn’t as puffy.
“He shouldn’t have hit you,” I tell her. “No matter what you said or did.”
“Yeah,” she says in a tone that makes me wonder if she really believes that. Then she sighs. “I’m tired. Can I go to bed?”
“Yeah. We can talk more in the morning.”
She gets to her feet and Tyler does too. She hands over the beer. “I’m sorry I ruined your night out. You clean up nice, bro.”
“I’ll always come if you need me. Got it?”
She nods. “Am I grounded for life?”
He chuckles softly. “No, but if I find out you’re talking to that prick again, I will—”
“I won’t. I promise. I already blocked his number.”
“Good.” He lifts his arm, and she steps into his side for a small hug.
When she leaves the room, he falls back on the couch and lets his head drop back.
“She’ll be okay.” I run my hand through the hair at the nape of his neck.
He closes his eyes and leans into my touch. “I’m so glad she hit him. I wish it’d been me.”
Ash pokes his head in. “I’m heading to bed, but I want to make sure everyone is good.”
Ty opens his eyes and nods. “Yeah. I think so.”
“I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I didn’t hear him come in.”
“Not on you, man,” Tyler says. And I don’t have to wonder if he’s putting it all on him instead. I know he is.
32
NO TALLY. NO JUDGMENT.
TYLER
We have an awaygame on Thursday, and I spend the days leading up to it feeling off and not sure why. Other than a shiner that Piper helps her cover with makeup, Everly is fine. Or that’s the story everyone keeps telling me. Despite the good conversation we had the night of the ‘blow job decking incident’ as Ash has started calling it (cringe), we haven’t really spoken since then.
Sure, we do the usual small talk, but neither of us seems to know how to navigate things anymore.
On Wednesday, Piper and Everly are sitting at the dining room table with a stack of college brochures next to Piper’s open laptop. I kiss Piper and then take a seat next to Everly.
“Heard anything back yet?” I ask my sister.
